The Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement to establish the Tan Sri Sir Jeffrey Cheah Distinguished Chair at UKM’s Faculty of Medicine, with a RM5 million commitment to enhance medical research, education and community engagement.
The funding will support joint research in healthcare, the setup of incubation centres and access to advanced instrumentation. It will also facilitate student and staff development programmes, including mobility initiatives, academic exchanges, scholarships and online learning, while driving community outreach through public lectures, short courses and sustainability-focused programmes.
The initiative marks the first time the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation is endowing such a professorship at a Malaysian public university, as part of a broader strategy to expand UKM’s global academic network and research capabilities. UKM Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Sufian Jusoh said the collaboration not only strengthens the university’s research visibility but also boosts teaching quality and community engagement.
Tan Sri Sir Dr Jeffrey Cheah, who is also the Chancellor of Sunway University, emphasised the importance of education and philanthropy in building a resilient Malaysia, adding that integrating UKM into a wider network of global university partnerships would bring greater benefits to students and researchers nationwide.
